Start with the Industry.
The industry. The forest. The big picture. Perhaps you have an interview with a company in an industry in which you have experience. Obviously, that gives you an edge (and perhaps a tremendous edge, because if you are familiar with an industry, you are also most likely
somewhat familiar with the company). But for our lesson here, you are a novice.
There are many resources available to learn about different industries, but at the risk of jumping ahead of myself, the first one to turn to is the company which is interviewing you. Visit the company web site, and see what they have to say about their industry in general. Find out about the niches (in office furniture, there may be several, such as industrial, executive, assemble-your-own, art deco, etc.).
Where does this tree see itself in the forest? Sure, they’ll say that they are a leader, setting new standards, focused on service when everyone else is focused on products, yadaa, yadaa, yadaa.
But beneath the propaganda, you may find some helpful information, and likely, links to other related resources, including professional, trade, and/or industry association web sites.
Be careful. At this stage, keep focused. Don’t get hooked on reading up on the company until you have familiarized yourself to some extent of the industry.
Beyond the industry resources referred by the company, the next place to look is your local library.
The Gale Group (www.Gale.com) manages a wide range of electronic databases, including
Associations Unlimited and Infotrac (a huge database on industries, companies, and organizations, as well as thousands of periodicals). You will be able to access these and countless other tremendous databases at your local library, or better yet, from the library’s website. Most of these databases cost thousands of dollars per year, and are thus created for public access
through the libraries that subscribe.
Get a basic grasp of the industry’s focus, and then research the news for recent developments. These include mergers, acquisitions, how the industry is affected by recent economic and world events, and where experts see it headed in the future (don’t forget to look up references to the company and some of its own leaders and executives!). Learn some of the terminology. Become acquainted with other, related industries. Also, find out who are the major players (i.e., the company’s competitors!).
Feeling overwhelmed? Too much homework? Feeling like you have to cram for a test? Relax. You don’t need to become an expert.
All you want to do is to be able to carry on a half-way intelligent conversation with another person involved in that industry.
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The above is an excerpt from The Last Guide to Interviewing You'll Ever Need, which is available for sale for $17 in our bookstore or for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. Students know that good experiences helps to build a good resume and that good resumes help you land interviews, yet how many of us have been shown how to interview well so that we can get hired? Written by Keith F. Luscher specifically for the job hunting students who use CollegeRecruiter.com. To get hired, you must know how to interview well. Read this book and you will. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter. |
